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31 August 2015
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Deborah R. Gilg announced that on August 28, 2015, William Nathan Chandler, 39, of Lincoln was sentenced to 10 years (120 months) in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine between about January 1, 2012, and April 4, 2014. Following the prison term, Chandler will serve five years on supervised release.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that Chandler was responsible for the distribution of at least 500 grams (approximately 18 ounces) of methamphetamine. In April of 2014, a search warrant was executed at Chandler’s residence. During the search, officers found slightly less than ¼ ounce of methamphetamine. Chandler waived his rights and admitted that he had sold approximately ½ ounce of methamphetamine on that day prior to the officers’ arrival. He said he had been using and selling methamphetamine for about six years and estimated he had sold a total of a pound in the year prior to the search.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Leader of Philadelphia to Morgantown heroin, oxycodone trafficking scheme sentencedRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Juwan Robert Woods, 32, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 87 months in prison for his leadership role in a multi-state heroin and oxycodone trafficking operation, United States Attorney William J. Ihlenfeld, II, announced.
Woods was among 21 individuals charged in a 65-count federal indictment in November 2014. The indictment disrupted an extensive drug trafficking operation in which heroin and oxycodone were transported across state lines from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to Morgantown, West Virginia for redistribution and sale throughout the region.
Woods pled guilty in April 2015 to a criminal Information charging him with one count of “Aiding and Abetting the Distribution of Oxycodone within 1000’ of Protected Location.” Specifically, Woods admitted that he distributed oxycodone near Wiles Hill playground in Monongalia County, West Virginia in May 2014.
Another participant in the trafficking operation, Terri Shuttlesworth, 25, of Fairmont, West Virginia was sentenced to 10 months in prison for selling oxycodone in Monongalia County in late 2013 and early 2014. He pled guilty in February 2015 to one count of “Distribution of Oxycodone.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The West Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Mon Valley Drug and Violent Crime Task Force investigated.
U.S. District Judge Irene M. Keeley presided.
Las Cruces Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbing First Light Federal Credit Union in Las Cruces in July 2013Read the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Dominic Tyrel Holland, 28, of Las Cruces, N.M., was sentenced this morning to 40 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release for his bank robbery conviction.
Holland was arrested on July 31, 2013, on a criminal complaint charging him with robbing the First Light Federal Credit Union in Las Cruces on that day. He subsequently was indicted on that same charge. According to the criminal complaint, Holland approached a bank teller and presented a note demanding money. After obtaining money from the bank teller, Holland left the bank on foot. After witnesses at the bank identified Holland as the bank robber, officers of the Las Cruces Police Department located Holland at an apartment complex and placed him under arrest.
Holland pled guilty to the indictment on Oct. 31, 2013, and admitted robbing the First Light Federal Credit Union in Las Cruces N.M., on July 31, 2013. He entered his guilty plea without the benefit of a plea agreement.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Luis A. Martinez of the U.S. Attorney’s Las Cruces Branch Office. It was investigated by the Las Cruces office of the FBI and the Las Cruces Police Department.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison in Plot to Explode Car Bomb at AirportRead the Press Release
Airport Worker Intended to Use his Access to Secure Areas to Commit Terrorist Attack
A Wichita, Kansas, man working as an avionic technician for an aeronautics company and possessing restricted access to secure airport areas, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today for attempting to explode a car bomb at the airport in Wichita, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin and U.S. Attorney Barry R. Grissom of the District of Kansas announced.
Terry Lee Loewen, 60, pleaded guilty on June 8 to one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Loewen was arrested in December 2013 when he tried to enter the grounds of the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport for the purpose of exploding a bomb. (The airport was recently renamed the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport).
“Terry Loewen abused his privileged airport access to attempt to perpetrate a terrorist attack in Wichita,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is protecting the United States against terrorist threats. We will continue to pursue justice against those who seek to carry out violent attacks against Americans, whether at home or abroad.”
“Here in the heartland, terrorism will never shake our faith in the things this country stands for – freedom, fairness and opportunity,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom. “We won’t give way to those who would inflict violence on their fellow citizens.”
In his plea, Loewen admitted he came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad. The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee. After Loewen expressed his desire to engage in violent jihad, the undercover employee offered to introduce him to someone who could help him do it.
Loewen told the undercover employee he was waiting for what he called “the green light” from Allah to carry out a violent attack on a civilian target. He said that he did not expect to live through any of the attacks he had in mind. Loewen also said that he was inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al Awlaki, and that he had downloaded thousands of pages of information on jihad.
In September 2013, Loewen sent photos of airplanes on the tarmac at the Wichita airport. He commented that he could have “walked over there, shot both pilots … slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and set them off before anyone even called TSA.”
In October 2013, Loewen met with a second undercover FBI employee who Loewen believed was a “brother” and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen said that he had scouted the airport to determine a time and place for an attack that would be sure to kill as many people as possible.
Loewen assisted the second FBI employee in the final assembly of an improvised explosive device. He was not aware that the explosive materials used in the device were inert. In the early hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the second FBI employee picked up Loewen at a Wichita hotel. They drove to where the bomb was stored and finished wiring the device. When they reached the airport, Loewen used his badge twice at a card reader to attempt to get onto the tarmac before he was arrested.
Loewen was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Monti L. Belot of the District of Kansas.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Grissom commended the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, the Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City, Missouri, Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority and the Wichita Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Grissom also commended the prosecutors on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Smith and Tony Mattivi of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Erin Creegan of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Kansas Man Sentenced in Plot to Explode Car Bomb at AirportRead the Press Release
WICHITA – A Wichita, Kansas, man working as an avionic technician for an aeronautics company and possessing restricted access to secure airport areas, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison today for attempting to explode a car bomb at the airport in Wichita, U.S. Attorney Barry R. Grissom and Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin announced.
Terry Lee Loewen, 60, pleaded guilty on June 8 to one count of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction. Loewen was arrested in December 2013 when he tried to enter the grounds of the Wichita Mid-Continent Airport for the purpose of explodig a bomb. (The airport was recently renamed the Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport).
“Here in the heartland, terrorism will never shake our faith in the things this country stands for – freedom, fairness and opportunity,” said U.S. Attorney Grissom. “We won’t give way to those who would inflict violence on their fellow citizens.”
“Terry Loewen abused his privileged airport access to attempt to perpetrate a terrorist attack in Wichita,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “The National Security Division’s highest priority is protecting the United States against terrorist threats – both international and domestic. We will continue to pursue justice against those who seek to carry out violent attacks against Americans, whether at home or abroad.
In his plea, Loewen admitted he came to the attention of the FBI late in May 2013 when he became a Facebook friend of a person who was posting comments advocating violent jihad. The FBI began communicating with Loewen through an undercover employee. After Loewen expressed his desire to engage in violent jihad, the undercover employee offered to introduce him to someone who could help him do it.
Loewen told the undercover employee he was waiting for what he called “the green light” from Allah to carry out a violent attack on a civilian target. He said that he did not expect to live through any of the attacks he had in mind. Loewen also said that he was inspired by the teachings of Osama bin Laden and Anwar Al Awlaki, and that he had downloaded thousands of pages of information on jihad.
In September 2013, Loewen sent photos of airplanes on the tarmac at the Wichita airport. He commented that he could have “walked over there, shot both pilots … slapped some C4 on both fuel trucks and set them off before anyone even called TSA.”
In October 2013, Loewen met with a second undercover FBI employee who Loewen believed was a “brother” and would help him blow up a plane. Loewen said that he had scouted the airport to determine a time and place for an attack that would be sure to kill as many people as possible.
Loewen assisted the second FBI employee in the final assembly of an improvised explosive device. He was not aware that the explosive materials used in the device were inert. In the early hours of Dec. 13, 2013, the second FBI employee picked up Loewen at a Wichita hotel. They drove to where the bomb was stored and finished wiring the device. When they reached the airport, Loewen used his badge twice at a card reader to attempt to get onto the tarmac before he was arrested.
Loewen was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Monti L. Belot of the District of Kansas.
Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Grissom commended the Wichita FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes members from the FBI, the Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sheriff’s Office and Kansas Highway Patrol. Assisting with the investigation were the FBI Kansas City, Missouri, Division, the Transportation Security Administration, the Wichita Airport Authority and the Wichita Police Department. Assistant Attorney General Carlin and U.S. Attorney Grissom also commended the prosecutors on the case, Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Smith and Tony Mattivi of the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Erin Creegan of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Kansas City Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City man who pointed a gun in the face of a bank employee during a robbery in Overland Park pleaded guilty in federal court Monday, U.S. Attorney Barry Grissom said.
Landein Craddock, 33, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on Jan. 20, 2015, he displayed a revolver when he and another man robbed the Bank of the West at 9400 Antioch in Overland Park, Kan. Both robbers wore masks and gloves. Craddock shouted at employees and customers to get on the ground and he pointed a gun in the face of one of the bank employees, while the other man jumped the counter and collected money from tellers.
Shortly after the robbery, police spotted Craddock and the other man in a black Honda and pursued them until the driver crashed his car in Kansas City, Mo. Craddock fled on foot and was arrested about a block from the scene of the accident.
Sentencing will be set for a later time. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 20 years or less. Co-defendant Jerome Davis, 32, Kansas City, Mo., is scheduled for jury trial Dec. 7.
Grissom commended the Overland Park Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask.
Justice Department Settles Housing Discrimination Lawsuit Against Owners of Marion, Illinois, Mobile Home ParkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and operators of the Williams Trailer Court mobile home park in Marion, Illinois, had agreed to pay $75,000 to settle allegations that they discriminated against African Americans and families with children, in violation of the federal Fair Housing Act. The settlement was approved today by the U. S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois.
The settlement agreement resolves a lawsuit alleging that the owners and operators of the park, located at 200 East Patrick Street in Marion, Illinois, violated the Fair Housing Act by refusing to rent mobile homes to African Americans and families with children. The lawsuit is based on the results of testing conducted by the department’s fair housing testing program. Testing is a simulation of a housing transaction that compares responses given by housing providers to different types of home-seekers to determine whether illegal discrimination is occurring. The testing conducted by the department revealed that the manager and part owner of the park, Lyle Williams, falsely told African Americans inquiring about renting mobile homes that no homes were available, while telling white home-seekers that such mobile homes were available. The testing also revealed that Williams unlawfully discouraged families with children from living there. In addition to Lyle Williams, the lawsuit also names as defendants the park’s other two owners, Kyle Williams and David Williams.
“The right of people to live in the housing of their choice regardless of their race or whether they have children is fundamental,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will continue its vigorous enforcement of the Fair Housing Act, which seeks to protect that right.”
“It is both shocking and sad that in this day and age any person would try to discriminate against a fellow citizen on the basis of race,” said U.S. Attorney Stephen R. Wigginton of the Southern District of Illinois. “Neither the Department of Justice nor my office will tolerate such behavior. Opportunity and justice must remain equal for all.”
Under the terms of the settlement, defendants will establish a settlement fund in the amount of $45,000 to compensate victims of the discriminatory practices. Defendants also will pay $30,000 in civil penalties to the United States. In addition, the agreement requires defendants to implement a nondiscrimination policy, establish new nondiscriminatory application and rental procedures, and undergo training on the Fair Housing Act. Persons who believe they may have been discriminated against at Williams Trailer Court should contact the department at 1-800-896-7743, extension 3, or by email at [email protected].
The federal Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin and disability. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.usdoj.gov/crt. Individuals who believe that they have been victims of housing discrimination can call the Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743, e-mail the Justice Department at [email protected] or contact HUD at 1-800-669-9777.
Justice Department Settles Discrimination Claim Against Louisiana Crane & ConstructionRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it reached a settlement with Louisiana Crane & Construction LLC (Louisiana Crane), a crane and construction company headquartered in Eunice, Louisiana, that provides services to oilfields. The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed on Aug. 29, 2014, by the Office of Special Counsel for Immigration-Related Unfair Employment Practices (OSC).
The lawsuit alleged that from at least Jan. 1, 2013, until at least Sept. 1, 2013, Louisiana Crane required workers who are not U.S. citizens to produce documents issued by the Department of Homeland Security as a condition of employment, but it did not make similar demands of U.S. citizens. The anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) prohibits employers from placing additional documentary burdens on workers during the employment eligibility verification process based on the worker’s citizenship status.
Under the settlement agreement, Louisiana Crane will pay $165,000 in civil penalties to the United States, establish a $50,000 back pay fund to compensate workers who lost wages because of the company’s practices, undergo monitoring for two years and train its employees on the INA’s anti-discrimination provision.
People who were authorized to work in the United States but were denied a job at Louisiana Crane, whose hire date was delayed by Louisiana Crane or were fired by Louisiana Crane between 2011 and 2015 because they could not show the documents the company requested to prove their work authorization, should contact OSC at (202) 305-0144. Any unclaimed money from the $50,000 back pay fund will be donated to a non-profit organization in Texas or Louisiana.
“We see far too many cases of employers creating discriminatory barriers for immigrants who have permission to work in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Vanita Gupta, head of the Civil Rights Division. “It is important that all employers examine their employment policies to make sure they are treating all workers fairly.”
OSC is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute prohibits citizenship status and national origin discrimination in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices; retaliation; and intimidation. Trial Attorneys Liza Zamd and Silvia Dominguez-Reese and Paralegal Isabel Otero of the Civil Rights Division worked on this case.
For more information about protections against employment discrimination under immigration laws, call OSC’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call OSC’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a free webinar at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php, email [email protected]; or visit OSC’s website at www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
Applicants or employees who believe they were subjected to different documentary requirements based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin; or discrimination based on their citizenship status, immigration status or national origin in hiring, firing, or recruitment or referral for a fee should contact OSC’s worker hotline for assistance.
Justice Department Asks Federal Court to Shut Down Fraudulent Mississippi Tax Return PreparerRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint seeking to permanently bar a Durant, Mississippi, woman and the tax preparation business she operates from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.
The civil complaint against Teresa Chism and her business, Lady T. Taxes, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. The complaint alleges that Chism prepares income tax returns for customers that fraudulently overstate the refunds due by falsely claiming refundable credits, including the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and credits for education expenses. The complaint further alleges that Chism frequently prepares a fabricated Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form W-2, Wage and Tax Statement, to submit with a tax return in order to maximize the amount of EITC a customer claims.
According to the complaint, since 2010, Chism has prepared more than 2,845 tax returns, and audits of 220 returns uncovered a total of more than $1 million in tax credits that Chism’s customers were not entitled to claim.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2015. The IRS has some tips on its website for choosing a tax return preparer, and has launched a free directory of federal tax return preparers. In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Jury finds Texas man guilty of attempting to make a sexually explicit video of a child and persuading mother to allow sexual exploitation of the childRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced that a federal jury found a Texas man guilty late Friday of attempting to use a child to make a sexually explicit video and of persuading and convincing the mother to allow sexual exploitation of the child.
The jury found Mark Anthony Thompson, 49, of Richmond, Texas, guilty of one count of attempting to use a child to produce a visual depiction or production of child pornography and one count of attempting to entice a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. United States District Judge Patricia Minaldi presided over the trial, which started Monday, August 24th, and ended late Friday, August 28th; the jury deliberated for approximately one hour. Evidence admitted at trial revealed that Thompson persuaded a Louisiana mother to use her child to unknowingly produce a sexually explicit video and tried to further sexually exploit the child. In December of 2013, the victim and her father found disturbing messages, pictures and a video from the defendant on his wife’s phone, and the father reported the matter to the DeRidder Police Department.
“It took courage for any victim to come forward under these circumstances,” Finley stated. “This young girl and her father are to be commended for assisting law enforcement in stopping this abuser. I want to encourage all victims of sexual abuse to speak up and know that there is help. You are not alone, and you are not at fault. I want to thank the prosecutors and the state, local and federal law enforcement officers who worked diligently to ensure that justice was served in this case. ”
“Child sexual abuse is one of the most heinous crimes HSI investigates as it steals the innocence of children and leaves lasting scars on victims,” said Raymond R. Parmer Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New Orleans. “Criminals who prey on children will continue to be one of the agency’s highest priorities in order to protect the innocent from these terrible crimes.”
Homeland Security Investigations, the DeRidder Police Department, Louisiana State Police and the Louisiana Department of Social Services conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Myers P. Namie and John Luke Walker are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a U.S. Department of Justice nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security/Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) encourage the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at (866) 347-2423. Investigators are available at all hours to answer hotline calls. Tips or other information can also be submitted to ICE online at www.ice.gov/exec/forms/hsi-tips/tips.asp. Tips may be reported anonymously.
Jury Convicts Two Ozark Men, California Man of Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced today that two Ozark, Mo., men and a Los Angeles, Calif., man have been convicted in federal court of their roles in a conspiracy to distribute large amounts of methamphetamine in southwest Missouri.
Philip Delgrosso, 63, and Jeffrey A. Cain, 40, both of Ozark, and Cesar Ramon Avila-Hernandez, 28, of Los Angeles, were found guilty on Friday, Aug. 28, 2015, of participating in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Greene County, Christian County and Webster County from Sept. 4, 2012, to June 5, 2013.
In addition to the conspiracy, Delgrosso and Cain were found guilty of participating in a money-laundering conspiracy related to their sales of multiple vehicles to co-conspirators, who purchased the vehicles from them at Missouri Auto Group Motors, LLC with drug-trafficking proceeds. Delgrosso and Cain also were found guilty of one count of engaging in money laundering together, and each found guilty of an additional separate count of money laundering. Delgrosso was also convicted of one count of failing to file a federal currency transaction report after receiving more than $10,000 in a transaction. Avila-Hernandez was also found guilty of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
Evidence submitted during the trial indicated that the conspiracy was receiving multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine from sources in Arizona and California for distribution in southwest Missouri. Conspirators used the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy to purchase numerous vehicles from Delgrosso and Cain at Missouri Auto Group.
For example, on April 7, 2013, co-defendant Jerry Dean Wright, Jr., 39, of Ozark, brought approximately $47,848 in cash to Missouri Auto and gave it to Delgrosso for the purchase of a 2010 Dodge Challenger and a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro. The money used to purchase the Challenger and the Camaro was derived from Wrights’ distribution of methamphetamine. Other vehicles purchased at Missouri Auto Group from the proceeds of the drug-trafficking conspiracy included a 1998 Jaguar, two 2003 Harley Davidson motorcycles, a 2004 Chevrolet SSR, a 2005 Pontiac GTO, a 2006 Chrysler 300C, a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche, a 2008 Chevrolet Avalanche, two 2010 Chevrolet Camaros, a 2010 Dodge Challenger and a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro.
In October 2012, several co-defendants drove to Arizona, where they picked up 25 pounds of methamphetamine then returned to Springfield and delivered the methamphetamine to Wright. Wright also arranged for at least three other multi-pound shipments of methamphetamine to be sent to Missouri in a VW Beetle that was equipped with a hidden compartment. On April 11, 2013, the Texas Department of Public Safety stopped a BMW X5 in Amarillo, Texas. The vehicle, which was connected to Wright, was carrying approximately nine pounds of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
On June 5, 2013, law enforcement officers saw Avila-Hernandez get into a Mercedes that they had learned had just been used to deliver a large quantity of methamphetamine to Springfield. A co-defendant had driven the vehicle from California to Springfield, and Avila-Hernandez flew from California to meet several co-defendants in Springfield and deliver the methamphetamine to Wright for distribution in southwest Missouri.
Avila-Hernandez met several other people in a hotel parking lot, and with Avila-Hernandez driving the Mercedes and the other persons in two other vehicles, they left Springfield eastbound on U.S. Highway 60. They were stopped by law enforcement officers between the cities of Rogersville and Seymour. Officers searched the Mercedes and found approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine.
On the same day, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Missouri Auto Group. Cain told federal agents that he met Wright a few months earlier, when Wright bought a blue Volkswagen from the Missouri Auto Group. Wright began working for the Missouri Auto Group soon thereafter. Cain also told federal agents that Delgrosso was the de facto owner of the Missouri Auto Group, but had a criminal history that prevented him from being the actual owner. Cain said Wright had purchased several vehicles through the Missouri Auto Group; Wright had personally paid Cain in cash to help him purchase vehicles.
Wright was sentenced on Nov. 18, 2014, to 20 years in federal prison without parole after pleading guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and to money laundering. Wright is among 12 co-defendants who have pleaded guilty in this case.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for about three and a half hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, Aug. 24, 2015.
Under federal statutes, Delgrosso, Cain and Avila-Hernandez are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole. Avila-Hernandez must also forfeit to the government a Cadillac Escalade and $5,700 that was seized by law enforcement officers. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Garrison and Randall D. Eggert. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Webster County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Ozark, Mo., Police Department.
Information: Federal Court ArraignmentsRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office announced that those persons listed below were arraigned before the U.S. Magistrate and the indictments handed down by the Grand Jury unsealed.
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on August 28, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- DONALD JOHN CHERRY, a 58-year-old resident of Miles City, appeared on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, CHERRY faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 15-96
- ASHLEY LORAINE COTY, a 28-year-old resident of Miles City, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, COTY faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the HIDTA Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 15-97
- RICHARD LEE GILBERT, a 30-year-old resident of Miles City, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, GILBERT faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the HIDTA Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 15-97
- DENISE KELLY MALLAK, a 47-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, MALLAK faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-100
- BURHAN A. MALLAK, a 63-year-old resident of Billings, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, MALLAK faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-100
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Lynch in Missoula on August 27, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- JUAN DOMINGO CONDE ROCHA, a 34-year-old resident of Missoula, appeared on charges of illegal reentry of a deported alien. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, CONDE ROCHA faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. PACER Case Reference. 15-20
- RYAN SCOT FRANFORTER, a 38-year-old resident of Helena, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, FRANKFORTER faces 20 years in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri River Drug Task Force. PACER Case Reference. 15-11
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Ostby in Billings on August 26, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- JONI LYNN ADAMS, a 28-year-old resident of Crow Agency, appeared on charges of assault on a federal officer. If convicted of the charge contained in the indictment, ADAMS faces 20 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-74
- KRISTINA FERN CLEOELA SEELY, a 36-year-old resident of Hardin, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, SEELY faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. PACER Case Reference. 15-103
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on August 26, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- DAVID QUINN GRAINGER, a 39-year-old resident of Poplar, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, GRAINGER faces 40 years in prison, $5,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice. PACER Case Reference. 15-48
- LIONEL LEE WEEKS, a 50-year-old resident of Wolf Point, appeared on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and use of a communication facility in causing and facilitating the commission of felonies under the controlled substances act. If convicted of the most serious charges contained in the indictment, WEEKS faces life in prison, $250,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs and Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office. PACER Case Reference. 15-50
Appearing before U.S. Magistrate Johnston in Great Falls on August 25, 2015, and entering pleas of Not Guilty were:
- JAMES ANTONIO AMATO, a 50-year-old resident of Great Falls, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, AMATO faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 15-46
- SCOTT MITCHELL BUMMER, a 51-year-old resident of Helena, appeared on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, BUMMER faces life in prison, $10,000,000 in fines and 5 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. PACER Case Reference. 15-46
- SHAD JAMES HUSTON, a 40-year-old resident of Havre, appeared on charges of false claims act conspiracy and false and fraudulent claims against a federally funded project. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, HUSTON faces 10 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-42
- BILLI ANNE RAINING BIRD MORSETTE, a 39-year-old resident of Box Elder, appeared on charges of conspiracy to embezzle tribal funds and embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, MORSETTE faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-40
- NEAL PAUL ROSETTE, a 53-year-old resident of Box Elder, appeared on charges of conspiracy to embezzle tribal funds and embezzlement from an Indian tribal organization. If convicted of the most serious charge contained in the indictment, ROSETTE faces 5 years in prison, $250,000 in fines and 3 years supervised release. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Interior Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. PACER Case Reference. 15-40
If any of the above cases are of interest to your media organization and the community it serves, we encourage you to monitor the progress of the case regularly through the U.S. District Court calendar and the PACER system so that you stay current and not miss any important developments in the case.
To establish a PACER account, which will allow you to review documents filed in the case, please go to, http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the district court’s calendar, please go to https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl
Information Technology Manager Pleads Guilty to Sending Damaging Computer Code to Former Company’s ServersRead the Press Release
A former information technology manager pleaded guilty today to sending damaging computer code to servers at his former employer, a software company, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI’s Charlotte, North Carolina, Division.
Nikhil Nilesh Shah, 33, of Union, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II of the Eastern District of North Carolina, to one felony count of causing the transmission of computer code and, as a result, damaging computers and causing loss of at least $5,000 in value. Shah is scheduled to be sentenced in Dec. 8, 2015.
According to the indictment, from 2007 to March 2012, Shah was an information technology manager at Smart Online Inc., a company located in Durham, North Carolina, that developed platforms for the creation of mobile applications. Shah subsequently left Smart Online to work for another technology company. According to facts presented to the court in connection with his plea agreement, on June 28, 2012, Shah sent malicious computer code to Smart Online’s computer servers in Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina, causing at least $5,000 in damage and deleting much of Smart Online’s intellectual property.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Raleigh, North Carolina, Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Richard D. Green of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas B. Murphy and Adam Hulbig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Information Technology Manager Pleads Guilty to Sending Damaging Computer Code to Former Company’s ServersRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former information technology manager pleaded guilty today to sending damaging computer code to servers at his former employer, a software company, announced Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Special Agent in Charge John A. Strong of the FBI’s Charlotte, North Carolina, Division.
Nikhil Nilesh Shah, 33, of Union, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers II of the Eastern District of North Carolina, to one felony count of causing the transmission of computer code and, as a result, damaging computers and causing loss of at least $5,000 in value. Shah is scheduled to be sentenced on December 8, 2015.
According to the indictment, from 2007 to March 2012, Shah was an information technology manager at Smart Online Inc., a company located in Durham, North Carolina, that developed platforms for the creation of mobile applications. Shah subsequently left Smart Online to work for another technology company. According to facts presented to the court in connection with his plea agreement, on June 28, 2012, Shah sent malicious computer code to Smart Online’s computer servers in Durham and Raleigh, North Carolina, causing at least $5,000 in damage and deleting much of Smart Online’s intellectual property.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Raleigh, North Carolina, Field Office. The case is being prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Richard D. Green of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas B. Murphy and Adam Hulbig of the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of North Carolina.
Idaho Falls/St. Anthony Woman Sentenced for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Lois Davis, 60, of Idaho Falls, Idaho, and formerly of St. Anthony, Idaho, was sentenced today to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for wire fraud, U.S. Attorney Wendy J. Olson announced. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Lodge also ordered Davis so pay $2,000,500 in restitution and serve 100 hours of community service. Davis was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 15, 2014.
Davis owned and operated Rouge River Financial and Y4 Ranch, based primarily in St. Anthony, Idaho. Davis held herself out as a person engaged in the business of investing and investment products, and with access to investment transactions from which she would receive substantial commissions. From August 2007, to July 2010, Davis devised and orchestrated an investment scheme whereby she enticed investors to send money to her based upon Davis’ materially false representations that the investors would be entitled to a portion of a commission that Davis would earn on a financial transaction. Davis sometimes referred to these investment opportunities as a “comm-buy.” For most investors she provided, or caused to be provided, a Sales and Purchase Agreement, which falsely represented to investors that they would receive up to ten times their initial investment.
Davis willfully failed to disclose material facts relevant to potential investors, including: that during the time frame of the scheme she had not received a commission of the kind described in the Sales and Purchase Agreements; she had no legitimate basis to expect to receive a commission in the future; prior investors had not received the promised returns; and that investor funds would be used for Davis’ personal expenses. Additionally, Davis often represented or implied that she was connected to, licensed by, or working with government agencies, such as the “Fed,” “Federal Secretary of State,” and the “Treasury Department,” which was not true.
To at least one investor victim, Davis provided a fraudulent copy of her bank balance, showing assets of over $19 million, when in fact the accounts contained less than $100. She also emailed, or caused to be emailed, a fraudulent recommendation letter from a purported “Gary DuPont” falsely claiming that Davis had earned over $100 million in commissions and made 396 people millionaires.
During the time period described, Davis received from investors approximately $2.1 million, she refunded to investors approximately $330,000, and kept approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds. During the time frame of the scheme, Davis did not earn a commission of the type described in the Sales and Purchase Agreements. Instead, she spent investors’ funds on personal items, such as vehicles, horses, and tack, and on gifts to her family and her church.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Huntington man pleads guilty to federal oxycodone chargeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – A Huntington man who possessed and sold oxycodone in 2013 pleaded guilty today to a federal drug charge, announced U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin. Tracey Lee Gibson, 36, entered a guilty plea in federal court in Huntington to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
On March 26, 2013, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at Gibson’s residence at 1608 Madison Avenue in Huntington. During the search, agents recovered 43 oxycodone pills that Gibson intended to sell. Prior to the search, Gibson assisted in the sale of oxycodone to a DEA confidential informant on three occasions in February and March of 2013.
Gibson faces up to 20 years in federal prison, and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 30, 2015.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is in charge of the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Former Silk Road Task Force Agent Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and ObstructionRead the Press Release
Ex-Secret Service Agent Used Status to Pocket $820,000 Worth of Bitcoin
A former U.S. Secret Service special agent pleaded guilty today to money laundering and obstruction of justice in connection with his theft of digital currency during the federal investigation of Silk Road, an online marketplace used to facilitate the purchase and sale of illegal drugs and other contraband.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag of the Northern District of California, Chief Richard Weber of the IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson of the FBI’s San Francisco Division, Special Agent in Charge Michael P. Tompkins of the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General’s Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Lori Hazenstab of the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General in Washington D.C. made the announcement.
Shaun W. Bridges, 32, of Laurel, Maryland, had been a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service for approximately six years in the Baltimore Field Office and was assigned to the Electronic Crimes Task Force. He pleaded guilty before the U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg of the Northern District of California and a sentencing hearing is scheduled for Dec. 7, 2015.
“There is a bright line between enforcing the law and breaking it,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “Law enforcement officers who cross that line not only harm their immediate victims but also betray the public trust. This case shows we will act quickly to hold wrongdoers accountable, no matter who they are.”
“Mr. Bridges has now admitted that he brazenly stole $820,000 worth of digital currency while working as a U.S. Secret Service special agent, a move that completely violated the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Haag. “We depend on those in federal law enforcement having the highest integrity and unshakeable honor, and Mr. Bridges has demonstrated that he utterly lacks those qualities. We appreciate the hard work of our federal partners that went into bringing Mr. Bridges to justice.”
“Through a series of complex transactions, the defendant stole bitcoins worth hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Chief Weber. “This case is an excellent example of the financial expertise of our special agents. Through the analysis of both the block chain and data from the Silk Road servers, we were able to trace the flow of funds, which eventually led to the defendant.”
Between 2012 and 2014, Bridges was assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force, a multi-agency group investigating illegal activity on Silk Road. Bridges’ responsibilities included, among other things, conducting forensic computer investigations in an effort to locate, identify and prosecute targets, including Ross Ulbricht, aka Dread Pirate Roberts, who ran Silk Road.
According to his plea agreement, Bridges admitted that in January 2013 he used an administrator account on the Silk Road website that belonged to another individual to fraudulently obtain access to that website, reset passwords of various accounts and to move bitcoin from those accounts into a bitcoin “wallet” that Bridges controlled. Bridges admitted that he moved and stole approximately 20,000 bitcoin, which at that time was worth approximately $350,000.
Bridges admitted that he moved the stolen bitcoin into an account at Mt. Gox, an online digital currency exchange based in Japan. According to his admissions, he liquidated the bitcoin into $820,000 of U.S. currency between March and May 2013, and had the funds transferred to personal investment accounts in the United States.
Bridges’ plea agreement also established that he obstructed the Baltimore federal grand jury’s investigations of Silk Road and Ulbricht in a number of ways, including by impeding the ability of the investigation to fully utilize a cooperator’s access to Silk Road. In addition, Bridges admitted that he made multiple false and misleading statements to investigators in connection with the San Francisco federal grand jury’s investigation into his own illegal acts, and that he encouraged another government employee to lie to investigators.
Bridges is one of two federal agents to plead guilty in connection with illegal activity during the investigation of Silk Road. Carl M. Force, 46, of Baltimore, was a special agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration and was also assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force. On July 1, 2015, Force pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with money laundering related to his theft of over $700,000 in digital currency while acting as an undercover agent on the Task Force. Force is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeborg on Oct. 19, 2015.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s San Francisco Division, the IRS-CI’s San Francisco Division, the Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General and the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of the Inspector General in Washington, D.C. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Haun and William Frentzen of the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvon Perteet.
Former Secret Service Agent Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering and ObstructionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Shaun W. Bridges pleaded guilty today to money laundering and obstruction of justice in connection with his position as an agent with the U.S. Secret Service announced U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell, IRS Criminal Investigation Chief Richard Weber, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Johnson, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge José M. Martinez, Department of Justice Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Michael P. Tompkins and Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Special Agent in Charge Lori Hazenstab. The plea marks the end of a major portion of the investigation into the Silk Road, an underground black market that allowed vendors and buyers to conduct illegal transactions over the internet.
Bridges, 32, of Laurel, Maryland was a Special Agent with the U.S. Secret Service and was assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force, a multi-agency team investigating illegal activity on the Silk Road. Among the targets of the Task Force was Ross Ulbricht, a/k/a “Dread Pirate Roberts,” who was prosecuted for his involvement with the Silk Road.
In the plea agreement filed today, Bridges admitted he used an administrator account to reset passwords and pins of various accounts on the Silk Road. This enabled Bridges to move bitcoin into a “wallet” he controlled and which he used to fraudulently move and steal approximately 20,000 bitcoin from Silk Road accounts. At the time Bridges stole the bitcoin in January 2013, 20,000 bitcoin would have been worth approximately $350,000. Shortly after Bridges stole the bitcoin, he moved it into an account at Mt. Gox, an online digital currency exchange based in Japan. Between March and May of 2013, he liquidated the bitcoin into $820,000 of U.S. currency and had the funds transferred to the United States to a personal investment account at Fidelity. He owned the Fidelity account under the name of Quantum International Investments, LLC. Later, in June 2014, Bridges transferred money from the Quantum Fidelity account into a personal bank account that he shared with another person.
On June 16, 2015, Bridges was charged by information with money laundering, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956, and obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512. In today’s plea agreement, Bridges pleaded guilty to both charges. In connection with his guilty plea, Bridges acknowledged his actions compromised a District of Maryland grand jury investigation into Ulbricht and the Silk Road. Bridges also acknowledged he made multiple false and misleading statements to both prosecutors and investigators in connection with an investigation being conducted by a San Francisco grand jury. In addition, Bridges tried to get other government employees to tell false stories to prosecutors and investigators. In his agreement with the government, Bridges agreed his sentence for money laundering will include enhancements for abuse of trust and obstruction of justice.
“Mr. Bridges has now admitted that he brazenly stole $820,000 worth of digital currency while working as a U.S. Secret Service special agent, a move that completely violated the public’s trust,” said U.S. Attorney Melinda Haag. “We depend on those in federal law enforcement having the highest integrity and unshakeable honor, and Mr. Bridges has demonstrated that he utterly lacks those qualities. We appreciate the hard work of our federal partners that went into bringing Mr. Bridges to justice.”
“There is a bright line between enforcing the law and breaking it,” said Assistant Attorney General Caldwell. “Law enforcement officers who cross that line not only harm their immediate victims but also betray the public trust. This case shows we will act quickly to hold wrongdoers accountable, no matter who they are.”
“Through a series of complex transactions, the defendant stole bitcoins worth hundreds of thousands of dollars," said Richard Weber, Chief, IRS-Criminal Investigation. "This case is an excellent example of the financial expertise of our special agents. Through the analysis of both the block chain and data from the Silk Road servers, we were able to trace the flow of funds, which eventually led to the defendant.”
Bridges’ sentencing is scheduled for December 7, 2015, before the Honorable Richard Seeborg, United States District Judge in San Francisco. The maximum penalty for each count in the information is 20 years and $250,000, but any sentence following conviction would be imposed after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence.
Bridges is one of two federal agents to be charged with illegal activity in connection with the investigation into the Silk Road. Carl M. Force, 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, was a Special Agent with the DEA who also was assigned to the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force. On July 1, 2015, Force pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with money laundering with predicates of wire fraud and theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(1)(A) and (B); obstruction of justice, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c)(2); and extortion under color of official right, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1951, related to his theft and diversion of over $700,000 in digital currency to which he gained control as part of undercover role on the Baltimore Silk Road Task Force. Force is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Seeborg on October 19, 2015.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Haun and William Frentzen of the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Richard B. Evans of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arvon Perteet assisted with Asset Forfeiture aspects of the case. The attorneys were assisted by Daniel Charlier-Smith, Lance Libatique, and Christine Tian. The case was investigated by the FBI’s San Francisco Division, the IRS-CI’s San Francisco Division, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General in Washington D.C. Additional assistance was provided by IRS Criminal Investigation – New York Field Office, HSI’s Chicago/O’Hare Division, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the Department of Justice’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Embassy in Slovenia, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the International Organized Crime Center IOC-2, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Tokyo, Japan.
Former Owner of Muskegon Restaurant, Pablo Razo Fierro, Pleads Guilty to Social Security Disability FraudRead the Press Release
Defendant fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — Pablo Razo Fierro, 66, pled guilty today to Social Security Fraud. Fierro applied for and began receiving disability benefits in 1996, after claiming he had a back injury that prevented him from working. As part of the application process, he promised to notify the Social Security Administration if his health improved, or if he returned to work. In 2004, he opened "Pablo’s Tacos," a popular Mexican restaurant in Muskegon. Fierro concealed his gainful employment from Social Security, because he knew it would lead to the termination of his disability benefits.
In 2008, the Muskegon Chronicle published a newspaper story and an internet video about the success of Pablo’s Tacos, and interviewed Fierro on camera. Fierro told the reporter he had been working long hours, nearly seven days a week, since opening the restaurant. The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General opened an investigation, and discovered Fierro had been fraudulently receiving disability payments for years. Federal agents interviewed Fierro, who admitted concealing his income so he could continue receiving disability, and admitted spending the money on car payments and other personal expenses.
After plea negotiations broke down in 2012, Fierro disappeared. On June 30, 2015, the U.S. Marshal’s Service arrested Fierro in Twin Lake, MI. Fierro admitted he fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution, but returned to the United States after family members mistakenly advised him that there was no pending warrant for his arrest. Fierro now faces up to five years in prison. The amount of restitution he must pay back will be determined at his sentencing.
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Former Director of Marketing and Merchandising for PA-Liquor Control Board Charged in Honest Services Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that the former Director of Marketing and Merchandising for the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board (PA-LCB) has been charged with a scheme to defraud the state, its citizens and the PA-LCB of their right to his honest services as a public official through bribes, kick-backs and concealing information.
According to United States Attorney Peter Smith, James H. Short, Jr., age 50, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, is charged with Honest Services Mail Fraud in a Criminal Information filed today in the United States District Court in Harrisburg. Short served as the Director of Marketing and Merchandising from approximately 2003 to 2012 and supervised the process through which alcoholic beverages are selected and acquired for sale in Pennsylvania’s state-run liquor stores. With over $1 billion in annual revenue, the PA-LCB is one of the largest purchasers of alcohol in the world.
The charge is based upon Short’s alleged 10 years (2002 to 2012) of receiving benefits from a distributor and a manufacturer of alcoholic beverages sold in Pennsylvania’s stores. These benefits included all-expense paid golf trips, cash, gift cards, meals, and other benefits.
As Director of Marketing and Merchandising for the PA-LCB, Short supervised the process of recommending to the PA-LCB which new products should be sold and which products should no longer be sold in Pennsylvania’s 500 state-run liquor stores. Short has been charged with accepting things of value from the companies with the intent to be influenced in decisions he made to recommend new products and remove others from Pennsylvania liquor stores while failing to disclose the receipt of the items in annual financial reports he was required to submit to the State Ethics Commission as a public official.
The Information describes two alleged examples of all-expense paid trips to Florida. In February 2010, Short is alleged to have been taken by private jet on an all-expense paid golf outing to Bonita Bay, Florida with the purpose of influencing his decision to list a particular product for sale. This trip, as well as a similar trip in December 2011, were part of an ongoing stream of benefits the vendor and manufacturer provided to Short to influence his decisions. The specific mailing in the charge is correspondence Short allegedly caused to be sent to company A in February 2012 notifying the company of a PA-LCB decision approving the listing of the company’s products.
No date has been scheduled yet for entry of Short’s guilty plea. Together with the Criminal Information, the government also filed a plea agreement with Short, which is subject to the approval of the court, and a joint statement of facts concerning the offense.
The case is part of a continuing investigation by the Harrisburg Office of the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael A. Consiglio. The case initially was brought by the Pennsylvania Ethics Commission which found that Short violated the Pennsylvania Ethics act when he accepted certain things of value charged in the present federal case.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty for the offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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Florida Man Returned to U.S. to Face Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Martin Slone (59, Oldsmar) with four counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to the indictment, Slone defrauded a Miami-area lender and the Export-Import Bank of the United States (Ex-Im Bank). The sealed indictment was returned by a grand jury on July 11, 2013, and an arrest warrant was issued. At the time, Slone was residing in Brazil. On June 28, 2015, he was arrested at Abu Dhabi International Airport by authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), based on an INTERPOL Red Notice. On August 13, 2015, special agents of the Ex-Im Bank – Officer of Inspector General (OIG) took custody of Slone and returned him to the United States to face charges.
According to the indictment, Slone owned and operated an aircraft brokerage and export business in Florida called Woolie Enterprises Inc. In September 2007, he sought and received an insurance policy from Ex-Im Bank to insure aircraft sales from Woolie to purported buyers in Brazil. Slone allegedly submitted false information regarding Woolie’s export activity to the lending bank and Ex-Im Bank. The indictment also alleges that Slone created fake invoices and documents falsely claiming that foreign buyers had purchased aircraft and parts from Woolie, and then falsely reported that those foreign buyers had defaulted on payments, causing Ex-Im Bank to pay Woolie approximately $197,690.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has violated one or more federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
“This case is a good example of the OIG working with our embassy officials and foreign counterparts to pursue fraud across borders,” said Deputy Inspector General Michael McCarthy. “The Export-Import Bank will diligently pursue fraud cases against subjects who are located abroad.”
The case was investigated by the Ex-Im Bank – OIG, with assistance from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, INTERPOL, and law enforcement agencies of the UAE. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick Scruggs.
Fairfax Man Guilty of Prostituting a MinorRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Alexis Rahkeem Carter, aka Bishop, of Fairfax, pleaded guilty today to sex trafficking of a child.
In a statement of facts filed with the plea agreement, Carter was a member of a group known as “Scheme Team.” Scheme Team prostituted at least two teenage girls and one adult woman and operated in northern Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Initially the gang robbed individuals and businesses, and eventually moved to selling narcotics and firearms, and sex trafficking.
To groom the minor victims for commercial sexual activity, Carter performed sex acts on the minor victims. Carter obtained sex customers for the women and girls he prostituted by posting advertisements on the Internet. Carter also set the prices that the women and girls he prostituted were supposed to charge sex customers for commercial sex acts, ranging from $80 for a “short stay,” to $500 for sex acts that involved a customer having sex with two girls. Carter instructed the victims to submit to any sex act that customers wanted to perform on them. Victims were required to earn $1,000 per day, and Carter took nearly all of this money, even searching the victims to ensure that they were not withholding money from him. Carter told the victims that he had guns, and would threaten violence and sometimes used physical violence on the victims.
In addition to threats and violence, to keep the victims compliant Carter frequently provided them with alcohol and controlled substances, including prescription painkillers, molly, spice, and marijuana.
Carter faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life in prison when sentenced on Nov. 13, 2015. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dana J. Boente, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; and Clark E. Settles, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, made the announcement after the plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton.
Carter was apprehended by officers from the Special Problems Unit of the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office after they discovered him prostituting a minor victim in Stafford County.
This case was investigated by ICE/HSI and the Stafford County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Stafford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Frank is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:15-cr-256.
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Erie Cocaine Dealer Ordered to Serve 5 Years Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 60 months in jail and ordered to forfeit $142,780 and a Cadillac Escalade on his conviction of violating federal drug laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Levonne Rowan, 32.
According to information presented to the court, Levonne and his brother Dywon were arrested after ordering 3.5 kilograms of cocaine in exchange for $142,780. The cash was seized from them when they arrived in Edinboro, Pennsylvania to purchase the cocaine.
Assistant United States Attorney Marshall J. Piccinini prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended OCDETF, a federally administered Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) headed by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations and is comprised of members drawn from the Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Border Patrol, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation; the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General Organized Crime Section, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rowan. The OCDETF program supplies critical federal funding and coordination that allows federal and state agencies to work together to successfully identify, investigate, and prosecute major interstate and international drug trafficking organizations and other criminal enterprises.
Enfield Man Admits Committing 3 Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Patricia M. Ferrick, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, announced that DAVID M. JOHNSON, 27, of Enfield, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to committing the armed robbery of the First Niagara Bank in Windsor on January 10, 2015.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 10, 2015, at approximately 9:15 a.m., two masked men, at least one of whom brandished a firearm, entered the First Niagara Bank at 2133 Poquonock Avenue in Windsor. The two men vaulted the teller counter, directed two bank employees to the bank vault and ordered one of the employees to open the vault. Once inside the vault, the men ordered the bank employees to the ground and took $81,530 from the vault. The men also ordered bank employees to open teller drawers and proceeded to take an additional amount of money from the drawers. During the robbery, a customer entered the bank. One of the masked men pointed a gun at the customer, ordered him to the ground and told him not to look up. After exiting the bank, the men confronted a second customer who was about to enter the bank. One of the men pointed a gun at the customer and stated “If you say anything, we’ll shoot you….”
While investigating the robbery, Windsor Police were contacted by East Windsor Police who were investigating similar bank and credit union robberies in East Windsor and Glastonbury. East Windsor Police had recently obtained an arrest warrant for JOHNSON with respect to the robbery of the Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union in East Windsor on July 21, 2014.
After further investigation, on January 10 at approximately 9:45 p.m., law enforcement executed a search warrant at JOHNSON’s Enfield residence and found a total of $81,946 in cash, most of which was bound by First Niagara Bank strapping that was initialed by one of victim bank employees. Investigators also found and seized other items allegedly used during the robbery earlier that day, as well as a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun with a fully-loaded magazine.
In pleading guilty, JOHNSON admitted that he committed the armed bank robbery in Windsor on January 10, 2015, and also the armed robberies of the Nutmeg State Federal Credit Union in East Windsor on July 21, 2014, and the Nutmeg State Credit Union in Glastonbury on November 7, 2014, stealing $109,166 and $84,145, respectively.
JOHNSON, who has been detained since his arrest, is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny on December 2, 2015, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
On May 29, 2015, Odain J. Johnson, 22, of Hartford, pleaded guilty to one count of armed bank robbery stemming from his role in the Windsor bank robbery. He has been detained since his arrest on January 17, 2015, and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2015.
This matter is being investigated by the FBI and the Windsor, East Windsor and Glastonbury Police Departments, with the assistance of the Enfield Police Department, the Capital Region Emergency Services Team (CREST) and the Maine State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah R. Slater and Douglas P. Morabito.
El Departamento de Justicia Resuelve una Denuncia de Discriminación Contra Louisiana Crane & ConstructionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, D.C. – El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo con Louisiana Crane & Construction («Louisiana Crane»), una empresa de grúas y construcción con sede en Eunice, Luisiana que suministra servicios a campos petrolíferos. El acuerdo resolvió la demanda presentada el 29 de agosto del 2014 por parte de la Oficina del Consejero Especial para Prácticas Injustas en el Empleo Relacionadas a Inmigración (OSC, por sus siglas en inglés).
La demanda acusó que a partir de al menos del primero de enero del 2013 hasta al menos del primero de septiembre de 2013, Louisiana Crane, obligaba a los trabajadores que no eran ciudadanos estadounidenses a presentar documentos emitidos por el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional como condición de su empleo, pero no le exigieron nada parecido a los que sí eran ciudadanos de los EE. UU. La provisión antidiscriminatoria de la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) prohíbe que los empleadores les pidan documentos adicionales a sus trabajadores durante el proceso de verificación de elegibilidad laboral por motivos del estatus de ciudadanía del trabajador.
Conforme al acuerdo, Louisiana Crane le pagará a los Estados Unidos una multa civil que asciende a $165.000, establecerá un fondo de pagos retroactivos de $50,000 para indemnizar a los trabajadores que no recibieron sus salarios a causa de las prácticas de la empresa, será sujeto al monitoreo durante dos años, y capacitará a sus empleados acerca de la provisión antidiscriminatoria de la INA.
Los individuos que fuesen autorizados para trabajar en los Estados Unidos pero que se les negó un puesto en Louisiana Crane, cuya fecha de contratación fue retrasada por parte de Louisiana Crane, o que fueron despedidos por Louisiana Crane entre el 2011 y el 2015 porque no pudieron enseñar los documentos que la compañía solicitaba para probar que cuentan con autorización para trabajar deberán contactar a la OSC al (202) 305-0144. Cualquier parte del fondo de $50,000 de pagos retroactivos que no se reclame se donará a una organización sin fines de lucro en Tejas o Luisiana.
«Nos encontramos demasiados casos de empleadores que crean obstáculos discriminatorios para inmigrantes que tienen autorización para trabajar en los Estados Unidos», declaró la Subprocuradora General Interina, Vanita Gupta, jefa de la División de Derechos Civiles. «Es fundamental que todos los empleadores examinen sus políticas laborales para asegurarse de que traten a todos sus trabajadores de una manera justa».
La OSC tiene la responsabilidad de aplicar la provisión antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía o país de origen en la contratación, el despido o el reclutamiento o la referencia por comisión, prácticas documentales injustas; las represalias o la intimidación. El caso lo gestionaron las Abogadas Litigantes Liza Zamd y Silvia Dominguez-Reese, juntas con la Asistente Legal Isabel Otero, las tres de la División de Derechos Civiles.
Para más información sobre protecciones contra la discriminación en el empleo bajo las leyes migratorias, llame a la línea directa de la OSC para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1‑800-237-2515, TTY para las personas con discapacidades auditivas); llame a la línea directa de la OSC para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para las personas con discapacidades auditivas); matricúlese para una conferencia en línea gratuita en www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc/webinars.php; mande un correo electrónico a [email protected] o visite la página web de la OSC en www.justice.gov/crt/about/osc.
Los postulantes o empleados que creen haber sido víctimas de discriminación por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o país de origen en la contratación, el despido o el reclutamiento o la referencia por comisión deberán llamar a la línea directa para trabajadores mencionada arriba y serán atendidos.
LCC Settlement Agreement (1.94 MB)
Detroit-Area Physician Pleads Guilty for Role in $5.7 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Detroit-area medical doctor who prescribed unnecessary controlled substances and billed for unperformed office visits and diagnostic testing pleaded guilty today for his role in a $5.7 million health care fraud scheme.
Assistant Attorney General Leslie R. Caldwell of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade of the Eastern District of Michigan, Special Agent in Charge Paul M. Abbate of the FBI’s Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Lamont Pugh III of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Jarod J. Koopman of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) made the announcement.
Laran Lerner, 59, of Northville, Michigan, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Victoria A. Roberts of the Eastern District of Michigan to one count of health care fraud and one count of structuring cash transactions to avoid bank reporting requirements, as charged in a two-count information filed on Aug. 21, 2015. Sentencing is set for Jan. 24, 2015.
According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Lerner lured patients into his clinic with prescriptions for unnecessary controlled substances. Lerner admitted that he billed and caused Medicare to be billed for a variety of unnecessary prescriptions, tests and office visits to make it appear as though he was providing legitimate medical services instead of medically unnecessary controlled substances. According to admissions made as part of his plea agreement, Medicare was billed $5,748,237.31, as a result of Lerner’s unnecessary prescriptions, office visits and diagnostic testing.
As part of the plea agreement, Lerner agreed to permanently surrender his Drug Enforcement Administration controlled substance registration and agreed not to re-apply in the future.
Lerner also pleaded guilty to structuring cash deposits he received as a result of his scheme to avoid triggering the requirement under federal law that domestic banks file a report – called a Currency Transaction Report – with the Secretary of Treasury for all transactions in currency over $10,000. Lerner admitted that he knew about this requirement and caused his cash deposits to be structured in $5,000 increments on consecutive days at various branch locations in the Detroit area to avoid detection. According to court documents, Lerner deposited $70,000 in cash in April 2013 alone by making deposits of $5,000 on fourteen different days.
The case was investigated by the FBI, HHS-OIG and IRS-CI, and was brought as part of the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, supervised by the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of Michigan. The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Elizabeth Young of the Fraud Section.
Since its inception in March 2007, the Medicare Fraud Strike Force, now operating in nine cities across the country, has charged over 2,300 defendants who collectively have billed the Medicare program for over $7 billion. In addition, the HHS Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to increase accountability and decrease the presence of fraudulent providers.
To learn more about the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT), go to: www.stopmedicarefraud.gov.
Lerner Plea Agreement
Detroit Man Admits Role in Smash-and-Grab Robbery of Stamford Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that BRIAN MOORE, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in Bridgeport for his role in a smash-and-grab robbery of a Stamford jewelry store in November 2014.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 26, 2014, three of MOORE’s accomplices, armed with hammers, entered Sidney Thomas Jewelers, located in the Stamford Town Center Mall, during regular business hours. Soon after entering, the accomplices used the hammers to smash open a jewelry display case and removed more than $250,000 worth of Rolex watches. The three accomplices then fled with security guards in pursuit. One of MOORE’s accomplices, Richard Mathew Bailey, was caught and apprehended inside the mall while fleeing.
In pleading guilty, MOORE admitted that he helped organize and carry out the robbery by soliciting others to participate and partially funding it. He also admitted that he drove accomplices from Detroit to Stamford to carry out the robbery, and picked them up after the robbery in order to return to Detroit.
MOORE pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with commerce by robbery, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. A sentencing date has not been scheduled. MOORE is released on a $250,000 bond
On March 12, 2015, Bailey, also from Detroit, pleaded guilty to the same charge. He awaits sentencing.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Vidoni.
Columbia Man, Woman Plead Guilty to Heroin Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man and woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to their roles in a conspiracy to distribute heroin.
Alec Matthew Ell, 20, Angelica Melanie Polston, 20, both of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Withworth to the charge contained in an
April 2, 2015, federal indictment.By pleading guilty today, Ell admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin in Boone County, Mo., from July to October 2014.
Ell admitted that he sold a half-gram of heroin, packaged in four separate baggies, for $100 to an undercover police officer and a confidential informant on three separate occasions in July 2014. He also admitted that sold a quarter-gram of heroin, packaged in two separate baggies, for $50 to an undercover Jefferson City police detective in July 2014. Those transactions occurred in various parking lots in Columbia.
On another occasion in July 2014, Polston accompanied Ell, her boyfriend, and participated in the sale of a half-gram of heroin, packaged in four separate baggies, to the undercover Jefferson City police officer for $100. The transaction occurred near Hickman High School in Columbia.
On Oct. 18, 2014, a Columbia police detective and an officer were on patrol on 8th Street and spotted Ell and Polston. When the detective approached Ell and informed him that he had an active warrant for his arrest, Ell fled on foot into a nearby neighborhood. The officer caught up to him as he tried to jump a fence, and was able to force him off the fence and onto the ground, where he was arrested. During a search, the officer found a baggie of heroin in Ell’s front pants pocket. The heroin was packaged in to 16 separate baggies or “tenths.”
Under federal statutes, Ell and Polston are each subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $5 million. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stuart J. Zander. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department, the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department and MUSTANG (the Mid-Missouri Unified Strike Team and Narcotics Group).
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Six Bank Robberies, Used Bicycle as Getaway VehicleRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to robbing six Columbia banks, using a bicycle as his getaway vehicle.
Shaun Christopher Becker, 43, of Columbia, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matt J. Whitworth to the charges contained in a June 15, 2015 federal indictment.
By pleading guilty today, Becker admitted that he robbed six Columbia banks between Nov. 20, 2014, and Jan. 3, 2015, using a bicycle for transportation and as a getaway vehicle.
On Nov. 20, 2014, Becker stole $3,890 from Missouri Bank II, 2500 Rangeline St. in Columbia. Becker slid a demand note across a teller counter that said, “Put all the bills in the bag, except for $1’s, be quiet, keep smiling, and nobody needs to get hurt. Thank you.” The teller complied and took the note with her to the drive through teller window, where she activated the alarm. She then closed the bag and returned it to Becker, but retained the demand note. Becker fled the bank on a dark-colored bicycle, possibly a mountain bike, and eluded capture.
On Nov. 28, 2014, Becker stole approximately $6,000 from First State Community Bank, 3200 Golden Bear Drive in Columbia. When Becker walked to the teller counter, the teller requested he remove his sunglasses. Becker ignored the teller and pulled a black bank bag from underneath his sweatshirt and laid it on the counter. He retrieved a demand note from within the bag and gave it to the teller. The note essentially stated, “Put all your large bills in the bag, keep smiling and no one will get hurt.” The teller complied and then returned both the bag and note to Becker, who calmly walked out of the bank and fled on a bicycle.
On Dec. 9, 2014, Becker stole $1,810 from UMB Bank, 1516 Chapel Hill Road in Columbia. Becker arrived at the bank riding a blue mountain bike; he entered the bank and walked to the teller counter. Upon reaching the counter, Becker, who was noticeably out of breath, slid a black bank bag and demand note across the counter toward the teller. The note was poorly written in pencil using lower case letters on the torn corner of a white piece of paper. The teller was only able to read the words “big bills” before Becker pulled the note back to himself. The teller concluded she was being robbed and gave Becker her stack of $100 bills. The teller did not include the $50 bills because she assumed they were too small, but relinquished them after Becker gave her a frustrated look. Becker collected the money from the counter, placed it into the black bag, calmly walked out of the bank, then got onto his bicycle and rode away. During the ensuing investigation, a police K-9 officer located the bicycle and a black shoulder bag which contained Becker’s clothing. The items were concealed in a wooded area behind a business located approximately a half-mile from the bank near the MKT Trail. Becker eluded capture.
On Dec. 15, 2014, Becker stole $600 from Boone County National Bank, 1916 Paris Road in Columbia. Becker arrived at the bank riding a bicycle. He laid his bike in the grass at the end of the walkway and walked into the bank. Becker immediately approached the teller counter, retrieving a black bank bag from underneath his sweatshirt as he approached. Once at the teller counter, Becker removed a demand note from the bank bag and presented it to the teller. She complied and gave the defendant $600 cash. Becker, who kept the demand note, then walked out of the bank, stuffing the bag into his pants as he departed. Once outside, he retrieved his bicycle and rode away.
On Dec. 22, 2014, Becker stole $2,000 from Regions Bank, 2114 Paris Road in Columbia. Becker arrived at the bank riding a bicycle, which he parked outside the bank. Becker walked into the bank and immediately approached the teller counter, which was protected by a bandit barrier. Becker produced a bag and a demand note and slid them under the barrier to the teller. The note read, “Put the 100’s, 50’s, and 20’s from the top drawer in the bag.” The teller complied. Becker asked for his note back, then walked out of the bank, stuffing the bag into his pants as he departed. Once outside, Becker retrieved his bicycle and rode away. Fresh bicycle tracks were located on a nearby bicycle trail, but Becker eluded capture. Surveillance from a neighboring business revealed that Becker had cased the area on his bicycle prior to the robbery.
On Jan. 3, 2015, Becker stole $1,394 from Boone County National Bank, 205 S. Keene St. in Columbia. Becker immediately approached the teller counter, where he retrieved a black folder from inside his open shirt. The teller recognized Becker as the serial bank robber operating in Columbia, and immediately activated her silent panic alarm. Becker placed the folder on the teller counter where he untied and opened the folder, then laid a demand note on the teller counter. The note essentially read, “Put 50’s and 100’s in the bag, no funny business, and no dye packs or bait money, keep smiling.” The teller complied; as she stepped away to fill the folder, Becker crumpled and ate the demand note. After obtaining the money, Becker left the bank, stuffed the folder into his shirt and fled east, out of view of bank staff. Investigation revealed that Becker escaped the area on a bicycle and fled east along a paved bicycle path near the bank. Approximately three-tenths of a mile from the bank, Becker ditched his bicycle and shed his outer layer of clothing. Becker stashed the clothing, with the folder, alongside a wooded creek that intersected the bicycle path. With the money stuffed into his boots, Becker started walking to a vehicle he had staged nearby.
Responding police officers, who had seen surveillance images from five prior bank robberies committed by Becker, recognized him walking along the shoulder of the road and detained him. A jogger who was on the bicycle path was brought to the scene, and identified Becker as a suspicious person seen walking out of the woods in the vicinity of the bicycle. A police K-9 discovered clothing nearby. Becker was detained for interview by officers and transported to the Columbia Police Department for questioning. At the station, officers recovered $1,394 from Becker that had been stolen from the bank. Becker confessed to the robbery to an FBI special agent, as well as to the other five robberies. He admitted committing the bank robberies to support a costly heroin addiction.
Under federal statutes, Becker is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole, plus a fine up to $250,000 and an order of restitution for each of the six counts. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lawrence E. Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Columbia, Mo., Police Department and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Retaliation Against A WitnessRead the Press Release
CONTACT: Barbara Burns
PHONE: (716) 843-5817
FAX: (716) 551-3051
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney William J. Hochul Jr. announced today that Charles Hecht, 29, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty to retaliation against a witness before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. The charge carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a fine of $250,000.Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward H. White, who is handling the case, stated that Hecht was arrested along with co-defendants Jose Escalera and Giovanni Cotto for retaliating against a witness who testified in the matter of United States v. Jose Martinez, et al.
On May 23, 2014, Hecht assaulted the victim while in the recreational yard at the Cattaraugus County Jail. The defendant was instructed to do so by Escalera and Cotto who are alleged members of the Latin Kings Gang. Escalera and Cotto told Hecht that the individual was a snitch and asked the defendant to assault the individual in retaliation for his testimony against a fellow Latin Kings member. Hecht agreed because he was told that if he assaulted the individual then the Latin Kings would provide him with protection while the defendant was in prison.
Charges are pending against Escalera and Cotto. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of James J. Hunt, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 30, 2015 at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Arcara.
Brandon Woman Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney A. Lee Bentley, III announces that Cindy Sanchez Carabeo (50, Brandon) has pleaded guilty to bank robbery. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on May 11, 2015, Carabeo committed three bank robberies in Brandon. Within a span of approximately 30 minutes, she robbed a BB&T bank, a Wells Fargo bank, and a Florida Central Credit Union. During each robbery, Carabeo presented a note threatening to kill the teller if she did not comply with Carabeo’s demands.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Rachel K. Jones.
Bowling Green, Kentucky, Convicted Felon Sentenced to 104 Months in Prison for Violating Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
Arrested following a high-speed pursuit and standoff with law enforcement
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A convicted felon who was living in Bowling Green, Kentucky, was sentenced in United States District Court last week, by Judge Greg N. Stivers, to 104 months in prison, after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney John E. Kuhn, Jr.
Jackie Lee Bowles, age 26, was arrested on May 21, 2015, on the federal charge, following a high-speed chase and armed standoff with law enforcement, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Bowles was charged with the possession of a loaded, General Precision Corp., Model 20, .22 caliber revolver.
According to an affidavit filed with a federal criminal complaint, Bowles pointed a handgun at a self-identified police officer, threatened to shoot additional police officers in the head, and identified himself as a Captain with the Aryan Nation. Bowles is a convicted felon, having previously pled guilty in United States District Court to charges of possession and distribution of crack cocaine (case number 1:08cr40) on January 7, 2009. At the time of his arrest, Bowles was on Supervised Release from that conviction. The 104-month sentence includes 77 months for the new charge and 27 months for revocation of his earlier term of Supervised Release.
Bowles was involved in a pursuit by police at a high rate of speed, after failing to stop his vehicle for an alleged traffic violation. He fled that vehicle on foot. Bowles was later approached by law enforcement when the officer recognized him as a passenger in a vehicle at a convenience store on Louisville Road in Bowling Green. A Warren County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant identified himself and at that time, Bowles allegedly raised a handgun and pointed it at the Sergeant. Other officers arrived and established a perimeter around Bowles’ vehicle and evacuated several surrounding businesses and locked down two area schools. A Kentucky State Police Trooper used a taser to subdue Bowles.
Assistant United States Attorney Jo E. Lawless prosecuted the case. ATF, in conjunction with the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Kentucky State Police, conducted the investigation.
Bookkeeper Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Stealing over $179,000 from her EmployerRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paul W. Grimm sentenced Jessica Lee Warner, age 39, of Baltimore, today to 30 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft, in connection with a scheme to embezzle more than $179,000 from her employer. Judge Grimm also entered an order requiring Warner to pay restitution of $179,647.16, the amount she stole from her employer.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge James Murray of the United States Secret Service - Washington Field Office; and Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Police Department.
According to her plea, Warner was the bookkeeper for a company located in Montgomery County, responsible for electronically submitting employee payroll information to a payroll processing service. From 2007 to December 2012, Warner fraudulently used her position as a bookkeeper to increase her salary, and write checks from her employer’s bank accounts to herself and others, forging the signature of an individual who had signatory authority on the company’s checking accounts. Warner deposited the forged checks into her own bank account.
The Maryland Identity Theft Working Group has been working since 2006 to foster cooperation among local, state, federal, and institutional fraud investigators and to promote effective prosecution of identity theft schemes by both state and federal prosecutors. This case, as well as other cases brought by members of the Working Group, demonstrates the commitment of law enforcement agencies to work with financial institutions and businesses to address identity fraud, identify those who compromise personal identity information, and protect citizens from identity theft.
Today’s announcement is part of efforts underway by President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force (FFETF) which was created in November 2009 to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. With more than 20 federal agencies, 94 U.S. attorneys’ offices and state and local partners, it’s the broadest coalition of law enforcement, investigatory and regulatory agencies ever assembled to combat fraud. Since its formation, the task force has made great strides in facilitating increased investigation and prosecution of financial crimes; enhancing coordination and cooperation among federal, state and local authorities; addressing discrimination in the lending and financial markets and conducting outreach to the public, victims, financial institutions and other organizations. Since the inception of FFETF in November 2009, the Justice Department has filed more than 12,841 financial fraud cases against nearly 18,737 defendants including nearly 3,500 mortgage fraud defendants. For more information on the task force, visit www.stopfraud.gov.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the U.S. Secret Service and Montgomery County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Windom and Leah Jo Bressack, who prosecuted the case.
Arizona Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Heroin Trafficking Charge in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Janette Marline Montero, 21, of Glendale, Ariz., pleaded guilty today in federal court in Albuquerque, N.M., to a heroin trafficking charge under a plea agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Montero was arrested on Aug. 5, 2015, at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque after DEA agents found almost nine pounds of heroin in her baggage. Montero was indicted on Aug. 25, 2015, and charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute.
During today’s proceedings, Montero pled guilty to a felony information and admitted carrying heroin in her suitcase on Aug. 5, 2015, while she was at the Greyhound Bus Station in Albuquerque. Montero acknowledged that law enforcement officers found the heroin after she gave them consent to search her suitcase. Montero admitted that she was transporting the heroin with the intention of distributing it in Chicago, Ill., and that she would get paid for delivering the heroin.
At sentencing, Montero faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Montero is in custody pending a sentencing hearing which has yet to be scheduled.
This case was investigated by the Interdiction Unit of the DEA’s Albuquerque office which focuses on disrupting the flow of narcotics, weapons, and the proceeds of illegal activities as they are smuggled into or through New Mexico in passenger buses, passenger trains, commercial vehicles and automobiles. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Walsh is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted pursuant to the New Mexico Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education (HOPE) Initiative. The HOPE Initiative is a collaborative effort between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center that is partnering with the Bernalillo County Opioid Accountability Initiative with the overriding goal of reducing the number of opioid-related deaths in the District of New Mexico. The HOPE Initiative comprised of five components: (1) prevention and education; (2) treatment; (3) law enforcement; (4) reentry; and (5) strategic planning. The law enforcement component of the HOPE Initiative is led by the Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the DEA in conjunction with their federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement partners. Targeting members of major heroin trafficking organizations for investigation and prosecution is a priority of the HOPE Initiative.
29 August 2015
Luis G. Ramirez-Munoz IndictedRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE- United States Attorney David Capp announced that Luis Ramirez-Munoz, 29, of Howe, Indiana was charged in a 5 count Indictment returned by the Grand Jury on August 26, 2015.
According to documents filed in the case, Ramirez-Munoz distributed cocaine on two occasions in March of 2015, and he distributed and possessed with intent to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine on three occasions in July of 2015.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration in coordination with the IMAGE Drug Task Force, Allen County Drug Task Force, Lagrange County Sheriff’s Department, Lagrange Police Department, Ligonier Police Department, Steuben County Sheriff’s Department, Noble County Sheriff’s Department, and Fort Wayne Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Anthony W. Geller.
The United States Attorney's Office emphasized that an Indictment is merely an allegation and that all persons charged are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted in court, any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the judge after a consideration of federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Former Attorney Clark Holesinger SentencedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – United States Attorney for the Northern District of Indiana, David Capp, announced today, on August 27, 2015 Clark Holesinger, 53 of Valparaiso, Indiana, was sentenced for wire fraud and money laundering.
Holesinger was sentenced by Judge Robert L. Miller, Jr in South Bend District Court to 120 months imprisonment, 1 year supervised release, and ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $986,480.01.
According to the information and plea filed in April 2015, the charges relate to Holesinger’s practice of law in Porter County, Indiana, and his fraudulent use of clients’ funds.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and was prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorney William T. Grimmer.
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28 August 2015
Western PA Financial Crimes Task Force Investigation Leads to Prison Sentence for South Side ManRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH - A resident of Allegheny County has been sentenced in federal court to 12 months plus one day term of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release, and restitution ordered on his conviction of conspiracy, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence yesterday on Warren H. Thompson, 31, of Pittsburgh, Pa.
According to the information presented to the court, Thompson conspired with others to steal bank account information belonging to account holders at Citizens Bank in Pittsburgh. They used the information to create accounts at another bank into which they deposited the stolen funds. From these accounts, they made multiple withdrawals of the stolen cash.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Western Pennsylvania Financial Crimes Task Force (WPFCTF) for conducted the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Thompson. The WPFCTF was established as a collaborative, multi-agency effort to effectively combat financial crimes, including identity fraud, in Western Pennsylvania. Partnering in this effort are the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Department of Homeland Security, the Allegheny County District Attorney's Office, the Allegheny County Police Department, the City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Pennsylvania State Police.
West Suburban Dermatologist Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Medicare and Private Insurers of $3.7 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Lombard dermatologist was sentenced today to 7 years in federal prison for submitting hundreds of false insurance claims for alleged skin cancer treatment that was unnecessary or never performed.
From 2003 to 2010, DR. ROBERT KOLBUSZ submitted thousands of false claims to Medicare and private insurers, causing them to pay out more than $3.7 million for what Kolbusz said were treatments to destroy pre-cancerous lesions. In reality, his patients did not have pre-cancerous lesions, and many of the treatments billed by Kolbusz were cosmetic procedures, such as Erbium “lunchtime laser peels,” performed by non-medical professionals from his office.
A jury convicted Kolbusz last year of three counts of wire fraud and three counts of mail fraud. In addition to the 84-month prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John Z. Lee ordered restitution in the amount of $3,764,381.69. During today’s sentencing hearing, Judge Lee said the offense was “serious for a number of reasons,” and that it “warranted a significant term of imprisonment.”
Kolbusz, 58, was ordered to begin serving his sentence on Nov. 6, 2015.
Evidence at the four-week trial revealed that Kolbusz had aestheticians in his office perform cosmetic laser treatments on benign skin conditions that normally would not have qualified for insurance coverage. In bills submitted to Medicare and private carriers, however, Kolbusz fraudulently diagnosed the conditions as being large numbers of pre-cancerous actinic keratosis lesions, and claimed the procedures were needed to destroy them – at a cost of up to $352.40 per treatment.
Eight patients and several of Kolbusz’s employees testified during the trial. One patient, who was a teenager at the time, testified that Kolbusz’s staff performed routine laser procedures that she was told were to lighten her freckles. In the patient’s medical records, however, Kolbusz stated that he had destroyed approximately 491 pre-cancerous lesions on her skin – causing Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois to pay $4,597 for the treatments.
Kolbusz continued his fraud scheme even after a representative of the American Academy of Dermatology told him in 2007 that he was likely committing fraud, according to evidence at trial.
The sentence was announced by Zachary T. Fardon, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; John A. Brown, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Lamont Pugh III, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General in Chicago; and James Vanderberg, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General in Chicago.
The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Chahn Lee, Abigail Peluso, and Jessica Romero.
West Mifflin Child Porn Possessor Sentenced to 6½ Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A former resident of Allegheny County has been sentenced in federal court to 78 months in prison, followed by 10 years supervised release, on his conviction of possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor. Judge Schwab also ordered Ryan Henry Miller to pay $2,881.28 in restitution to a victim, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab imposed the sentence on Miller, 33, formerly of West Mifflin, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, Miller, on July 17, 2014, knowingly possessed videos and images in computer graphic files, the production of which involved the use of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, some of whom had not yet attained 12 years of age.
Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Lieber Smolar prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office, the Allegheny County Police Department and the West Mifflin Police Department for conducting the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Miller.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Washington County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore. –Eric Allen Forsyth, 37, of Tigard, Oregon, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael H. Simon on Thursday, August 27, 2015, to 12 years in federal prison following his federal conviction for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. When the defendant is released from prison, he will serve five years of supervised release.
In February 2014, Beaverton Police Officers received information that the defendant was selling methamphetamine. As part of the investigation, on April 14, 2014, deputies with the Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) Team conducted a traffic stop on a car in which the defendant was a passenger and arrested him on an outstanding warrant. When the defendant was searched, officers found him carrying $8,801 in cash and 55.5 grams of methamphetamine. A search warrant was later executed on the defendant’s residence and officers seized approximately 549 grams of methamphetamine packaged in 14 individual bags. According to police reports, following his arrest, the defendant admitted that he sold approximately one to two pounds of methamphetamine every day “for the money.”
In imposing the sentence Judge Simon noted that this was a “very serious offense” and that, based upon his prior criminal history, the defendant qualified as a Career Offender under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. The defendant has three state court convictions for the Unlawful Delivery of a Controlled Substance.
"Methamphetamine has been identified as the region’s most serious drug threat,” stated Acting U.S. Attorney Billy Williams. “I applaud the work done by our local law enforcement partners on this case and we will continue to work with them to hold these drug dealers accountable for their actions.”
According to the Oregon High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program:
Methamphetamine in the form of crystal methamphetamine, or “ice,” continues to be readily available and widely used throughout the Oregon HIDTA and represents the region’s most serious drug threat. Methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant that is abused for its euphoric and stimulant effects. Chronic methamphetamine abusers exhibit violent behavior, confusion, insomnia and psychotic characteristics such as hallucinations and paranoia. Methamphetamine-related crime, such as identity theft, abused and neglected children, and other serious person and property crimes, continues to occur at a palpable rate and is prevalent throughout the HIDTA region.
Oregon and Idaho law enforcement officers surveyed in 2015 indicated methamphetamine remains a significant threat due to its level of use and availability; nexus to other crimes such as violent activity and property crime; societal impact; and connection to drug trafficking organizations, primarily MNDTOs [multi-national drug trafficking organizations]. Of law enforcement agencies surveyed, 62 percent reported methamphetamine as the greatest Oregon HIDTA Program drug threat to their area, with the majority indicating methamphetamine as the drug that contributes most to violent crime (88%) and property crime (69%). Furthermore, over 60 percent of officers ranked methamphetamine as the drug that serves as the primary funding source for major criminal activity.
Threat Assessment and Counter-Drug Strategy, Program Year 2016, Oregon HIDTA Program, at 12-13 (June 2015).
This case was investigated by the Westside Interagency Narcotics (WIN) Team and the Beaverton Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Scott Kerin.
Virginia Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years for Providing Material Support to ISILRead the Press Release
Ali Shukri Amin, 17, of Manassas, Virginia, was sentenced today to 136 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release and monitoring of his internet activities for conspiring to provide material support and resources to the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
Assistant Attorney General for National Security John P. Carlin, U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente of the Eastern District of Virginia, Assistant Director in Charge Andrew G. McCabe of the FBI’s Washington, D.C., Field Office and Chief Stephan Hudson of the Prince William County, Virginia, Police Department made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton of the Eastern District of Virginia.
“Ali Shukri Amin is a young American who used social media to provide material support to ISIL,” said Assistant Attorney General Carlin. “ISIL continues to use social media to send their violent and hateful message around the world in an attempt to radicalize, recruit and incite youth and others to support their cause. More and more, their propaganda is seeping into our communities and reaching those who are most vulnerable. The Department of Justice will continue to use all tools to disrupt the threats that ISIL poses, and our efforts will be furthered by parents and other members of our community willing to take action to confront and deter this threat wherever it may surface.”
“Today’s sentencing demonstrates that those who use social media as a tool to provide support and resources to ISIL will be identified and prosecuted with no less vigilance than those who travel to take up arms with ISIL,” said U.S. Attorney Boente. “The Department of Justice will continue to pursue those that travel to fight against the United States and our allies, as well as those individuals that recruit others on behalf of ISIL in the homeland.”
“Today marks a personal tragedy for the Amin family and the community as we have lost yet another young person to the allure of extremist ideology focused on hatred,” said Assistant Director in Charge McCabe. “Amin’s case serves as a reminder of how persistent and pervasive online radicalization has become. The FBI, through our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, remains dedicated to protecting the United States against the ongoing violent threat posed by ISIL and their supporters.”
“Observations made by school staff and subsequent follow-up by the School Resource Officer were some of the earlier indicators of suspicious behavior regarding this individual,” said Chief Hudson. “Those observations were quickly relayed to our partners with the JTTF who acted upon this information very quickly. We greatly appreciate that these observations were observed and reported to the proper authorities proved to be instrumental in the overall investigation in stopping a dangerous network such as ISIL from further infiltrating our community.”
Amin pleaded guilty on June 11, 2015. According to court documents, Amin admitted to using Twitter to provide advice and encouragement to ISIL and its supporters. Amin, who used the Twitter handle @Amreekiwitness, provided instruction on how to use Bitcoin, a virtual currency, to mask the provision of funds to ISIL, as well as facilitation to ISIL supporters seeking to travel to Syria to fight with ISIL. Additionally, Amin admitted that he facilitated travel for Reza Niknejad, an 18-year-old Prince William County resident who traveled to Syria to join ISIL in January 2015. Niknejad was charged on June 10, 2015, in the Eastern District of Virginia with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, conspiring to provide material support to ISIL and conspiring to kill and injure people abroad.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael P. Ben’Ary and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline H. Friedman of the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance provided by Trial Attorney Stephen Sewell of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section.
U.S. Attorney: Let’s Give Police Officers Credit When They Meet Our High StandardsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A policeman’s life was never easy – and it’s harder now.
Time magazine described it well recently in an article called “What It’s Like Being a Cop Now.” The article said: “There are some 680,000 sworn police officers in the U.S. And in the past 12 months every one of them has had to answer in one way or another for the actions of colleagues they will never meet except on the screens running the latest viral incident.”
Law enforcement officers don’t have the luxury of being like everybody else.
Nobody pulls out a cell phone and posts a video on the Internet of you and me turning in anything less than perfect performance at our jobs. We aren’t responsible for life and death decisions. We don’t have to respond to every call for help, and nobody holds a news conference to demand we explain why we used the stun gun, the hand cuffs or the service revolver we carry on our belts.
Most of us would quit a job that routinely required us to chase a burglar down a dark alley, stop an angry husband from beating his wife or put up with a stranger’s drunken tirade.
In recent months, we’ve seen a series of tragedies in cities across the country that has turned our attention to the devastating consequences when police are not trusted and respected in the communities they serve. Those of us in law enforcement have a lot of work to do to restore that trust. I hope that is clear to every one of us, from the rookies on the streets to the chiefs behind their desks.
At the same time, I want everyone to remember that there is no question we need the police in our communities. They ensure our safety by patrolling our neighborhoods, defending the rights of victims and deterring crimes. They are our first responders in many emergency situations. They are role models for our young people. The overwhelming majority of women and men who police our streets do their jobs with honor, pride and distinction.
We have every right to hold our law enforcement officers to the highest standards of conduct, of course. At the same time, I hope we remember to give them credit when they are brave, honest and patient while performing a difficult job in even more difficult circumstances.
Barry Grissom is the United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.
Two Wellpinit, Washington Women Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violent AssaultRead the Press Release
Spokane – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Melissa Elizabeth Suszka, age 34, and Alycia Jean Scott, age 23, both of Wellpinit, Washington, were sentenced for their participation in a drug-related violent assault. Suszka previously plead guilty to Solicitation of a Crime of Violence and Scott previously plead guilty to Misprision of a Felony. United States District Judge Salvador Mendoza sentenced Suszka to a 37-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of court supervision after she is released from Federal prison. Judge Mendoza sentenced Scott to a 6-month term of imprisonment, to be followed by 1 year of court supervision after she is released.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, in August 2012, Suszka solicited other individuals, including Richard Peone, to assault a person to whom she had illegally sold drugs (prescription pills). Suszka had inadvertently sold that person more pills than she intended and that person thereafter refused to return the extra pills to her. As a result, Suszka solicited Peone and another individual to assault the victim. As per the planned assault, Scott drove the victim and the other individuals to a remote location on Martha Boardman Road on the Spokane Indian Reservation where the victim was severely beaten. Scott was present when the assault took place, participated in the plan, and failed to notify law enforcement about the assault.
These cases follow the previous sentencing of Richard Peone, who received a 39-month term of imprisonment in 2014 for his participation in the assault. One additional defendant who took part in the assault will be sentenced in mid-September.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “Drug-related violence within Indian reservations will not be tolerated.” “The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington is, and will continue to be, committed to aggressively prosecuting violent assaults that occur within federal jurisdiction, including the Indian reservations in this District.” “We appreciate the assistance and support that our office and the FBI receive from tribal leadership and law enforcement.”
This investigation was conducted by FBI and the Spokane Tribal Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Rudy J. Verschoor, an Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.
Tulsa Robbery Spree Duo Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla.—Two men responsible for a robbery spree in metro Tulsa were sentenced in United States District Court, announced Danny C. Williams Sr., United States Attorney for the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Billy Joe Laverty, 38, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Claire V. Eagan to 25 years in prison for his role in a series of robberies. Laverty pleaded guilty on May 27. On August 14, Laverty’s accomplice, Allen Wayne Smith, 48, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Smith pleaded guilty on May 15. Both men were indicted by a grand jury in April 2015.
Smith and Laverty began their robbery spree on January 17, 2015. The two men carjacked a victim at gunpoint, attempted to rob a Domino’s Pizza in Tulsa, and robbed a convenience store in Jenks, Oklahoma. During the convenience store robbery, Laverty discharged a firearm at the cashier. Smith acted as the getaway driver. On January 24, Tulsa Police officers apprehended both men.
This case was investigated by the Tulsa Police Department, Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, Jenks Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Neal C. Hong and Jan S. Reincke prosecuted the case.
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Three Men Sentenced for Counterfeit Credit Card ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Thursday, August 27, 2015, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. sentenced three members of a conspiracy involving the sale of over 69,000 counterfeit credit cards, announced Jill Westmoreland Rose, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Judge Conrad imposed prison terms on the three defendants ranging from 12 to 36 months and ordered restitution totaling $61,696.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rose is joined in making today’s announcement by Thomas L. Noyes, Inspector in Charge of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Matthew Quinn, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Division.
Vinicio Joseph Gonzalez, 32, of Palm Bay, Florida, was sentenced to 36 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $61,696 in restitution. Judge Conrad also ordered Gonzalez to forfeit seized computers and electronic devices, including high-end color printers and embossing equipment, Bitcoins and $4,800 in seized cash. Gonzalez pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
Nashancy Johnny Colbert, 39, of Charlotte, was sentenced to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $61,696 in restitution. Colbert also pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy.
Hugo Rebaza, Jr., 33, of Palm Bay, Florida, was sentenced to 12 months in prison, followed by two years of supervised release. Rebaza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic in counterfeit goods. A fourth related defendant, Sean Roberson, 40, of Palm Bay, is awaiting sentencing in the District of New Jersey.
According to information contained in filed documents and statements made in court:
In 2012 and 2013, Roberson owned and operated a membership-only, e-commerce business and website, known as Fakeplastic.net. The website sold counterfeit credit cards and counterfeit debit cards to its members-only customers, as well as holographic overlays used to make fake identification cards. The Fakeplastic website enabled criminals involved in credit and debit card fraud and identity theft fraud to browse, order and purchase from an extensive inventory of genuine-looking, but counterfeit, magnetic-stripe plastic credit and debit cards. The Fakeplastic counterfeit payment cards were ready to be encoded with stolen payment card data, known in underground carding forums as “track data” or “card dumps,” onto the magnetic stripes of the counterfeit payment cards. New Fakeplastic customers had to be sponsored by existing Fakeplastic members or others involved in illegal online carding forums dealing in stolen credit and debit card track data.
Fakeplastic customers, totaling approximately 400 in December 2013, were able to select the type and quantity of counterfeit payment cards and counterfeit holographic overlays they wanted to purchase. For an additional fee, Fakeplastic customers could order custom embossing on the face of the counterfeit payment cards to include information typically associated with genuine payment cards, including cardholder names, payment card account numbers, and payment card expiration dates. Fakeplastic customers were required to pay for their orders in Bitcoin, Liberty Reserve (a now-defunct online payment service) and, in some cases, cash.
Approximately 23,000 embossed counterfeit payment cards, costing $12 each, and approximately 46,000 unembossed counterfeit payment cards, costing $15 each, were sold and distributed through the Fakeplastic website. Fakeplastic sales also included more than 35,000 holographic stickers used to make counterfeit cards appear more legitimate, and more than 30,000 state identification card holographic overlays. Fakeplastic shipments exceeded 3,600 parcels shipped through the U.S. mail.
Gonzalez worked in Fakeplastic’s warehouse, processing purchase orders compiled by Roberson. Gonzalez manufactured the counterfeit payment cards and packaged the completed orders in U.S. Express Mail envelopes for overnight delivery to Fakeplastic customers. Rebaza’s role was limited to money pickups at a mail delivery service, sent by a group of New York-based Fakeplastic customers who paid cash, for approximately 16,000 unembossed counterfeit payment cards over a nine-month time period. Colbert was a Charlotte-based Fakeplastic customer. Colbert purchased approximately 230 counterfeit credit and debit cards from the Fakeplastic website, the bulk of which Colbert purchased soon after his release from a four-month state jail sentence for obtaining property by false pretenses.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rose credited inspectors of USPIS, special agents of the Charlotte Division of the U.S. Secret Service and Chief Kevin Lovelace and the Rutherfordton, N.C. Police Department for the investigation, and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, and Newark-based agents with USPIS and the FBI for their assistance.
The government is represented in the Western District of North Carolina by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tom O’Malley and Ben Bain-Creed.
Springfield Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Distributing CocaineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Worcester for distributing cocaine.
Stephen Tavernier, 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Hillman to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In March 2015, Tavernier pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine.
On August 6, 2013, Tavernier sold cocaine to an undercover federal agent on Main Street in Springfield, just yards from the state courthouse. The drug purchase was captured on video.
U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Ortiz and Daniel J. Kumor, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division, made the announcement today. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Deepika Bains Shukla of Ortiz’s Springfield Branch Office.
Spokane Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane – Michael C. Ormsby, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Joseph Preble, age 19, of Spokane, Washington, was sentenced, after having previously pled guilty on June 19, 2015 to Receipt of Child Pornography. Senior United States District Court Judge Justin L. Quackenbush sentenced Preble to a five year term of imprisonment, to be followed by a twenty year term of court supervision after he is released from Federal prison. In addition, Preble was ordered to forfeit to the United States the computer he used to receive and store his child pornography collection. Preble will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to information disclosed during the court proceedings, between October and November of 2014 Preble uploaded 60 images of child pornography, depicting four different minor female victims, to a foreign photo sharing website. Investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations Child Exploitation Unit resulted in the execution of a federal search warrant at Preble’s home in Spokane, Washington in December of 2014, at which time Preble’s computers and other electronic media were seized. A forensic examination of Preble’s computer revealed that he had received and was in possession of eleven child pornography image files and fifty-two child pornography video files. Some of the child pornography images were of children who had not attained the age of 12 years and some portrayed sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Michael C. Ormsby stated, “This case is another example of the outstanding efforts of the Homeland Security Investigations’ commitment to investigating child pornography crimes. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington prosecutes aggressively and seeks appropriate punishment for such crimes.”
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the United States Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. The Project Safe Childhood Initiative (“PSC”) has five major components:
· Integrated federal, state, and local efforts to investigate and prosecute child
exploitation cases, and to identify and rescue children;
· Participation of PSC partners in coordinated national initiatives;
· Increased federal enforcement in child pornography and enticement cases;
· Training of federal, state, and local law enforcement agents; and
· Community awareness and educational programs.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Stephanie J. Lister, an Assistant United States Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for the Eastern District of Washington.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced August 21, 2015, to five years in federal prison.
Chrishirwn West, 27, from Sioux City, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 12, 2015, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
At the guilty plea, West admitted his involvement in a conspiracy that distributed more than 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine from October 2014 through December 2014 in the Sioux City area. On October 21, 2014, during an undercover controlled drug transaction, West sold 41.8 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine to the undercover agent.
West was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Mark W. Bennett. West was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. A special assessment of $100 was imposed. He must also serve a four-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. West is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 15-4004.
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Sinaloa Cartel Member Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Cocaine Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE – Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith announced today that Jesus Manuel Gutierrez Guzman, 54, of Culiacan, Mexico was sentenced today to 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine. Gutierrez Guzman pleaded guilty to the charge on October 2, 2014.
A grand jury for the District of New Hampshire originally charged Gutierrez Guzman and seven co-conspirators including Joaquin Guzman-Loera, a/k/a “Chapo” with the drug conspiracy in June 2011. A grand jury returned a superseding indictment in July 2012, shortly before Gutierrez Guzman’s arrest in Spain on August 7, 2012 after he and conspirators Samuel Zazueta Valenzuela, Jesus Gonzalo Palazuelo Soto, and Rafael Humberto Celaya Valenzuela arrived there to monitor the delivery of 346 kilograms of cocaine to Algeciras, Spain. The cocaine was delivered to a European port for eventual redistribution in Europe and the United States. The delivery resulted from negotiations between members of the Sinaloa Cartel led by Chapo and undercover agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation posing as members of an organized crime syndicate. Gutierrez Guzman was Chapo’s representative in the negotiations that began in 2009 in Mexico and culminated in the delivery of 346 kilograms of cocaine to the FBI in 2012. During the period of the negotiations there were numerous meetings with members of the conspiracy in the United States, including an April 2011 meeting in New Castle, New Hampshire, and a March 2011 meeting in Madrid, Spain to finalize the terms of the first delivery. During this time, three “test” deliveries of fruit were made to provide assurance to the conspirators that they were not dealing with law enforcement. The success of the test deliveries led to the ultimate delivery of the cocaine.
“This case illustrates that drug cartels based in foreign countries will go anywhere to distribute their deadly products,” stated Acting United States Attorney Donald Feith. “Mr. Gutierrez Guzman served as a representative of one of the world’s wealthiest and deadliest drug organizations. I commend the FBI for its dedication to this long term investigation and its determination to bring these individuals to justice.”
Gutierrez Guzman was also fined $10,000. He will be deported to Mexico upon his release.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Shreveport man pleads guilty to possessing firearms after being convicted of feloniesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT, La. – United States Attorney Stephanie A. Finley announced today that a Shreveport man pleaded guilty to possessing three firearms and ammunition after being convicted of multiple felonies.
Jonathan Shane Roberts, 41, of Shreveport, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge S. Maurice Hicks Jr. to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. According to the guilty plea, Roberts swapped an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) for a 9 mm pistol, a .308 caliber rifle, a .223 caliber rifle and ammunition on November 19, 2014. Roberts later filed a police report claiming the ATV was stolen. After further investigation, a Shreveport Police Department detective found that Roberts had at least three felony convictions before obtaining the firearms. Roberts was convicted in March of 1993 of unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, in December of 2001 of simple robbery, and in August of 2007 of felony theft of more than $500. All convictions were in the First Judicial District Court in Caddo Parish.
Roberts faces up to 10 years in prison, one to three years supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date of December 16, 2015 was set.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, which is a Department of Justice initiative designed to reduce firearm crimes by removing dangerous and persistent felons from the community and to promote firearm safety.
The Shreveport office of the ATF and Shreveport Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert W. Gillespie Jr is prosecuting the case.